YNW Melly is currently awaiting jury selection for the second trial of his alleged double murder case. The rapper is accused of murdering two of his associates back in 2018, YNW Juvy and YNW SakChaser. His first trial was ruled a mistrial back in July, after jurors couldn't come to a unanimous decision. Now, his team's pushing for the entire case to be dismissed. The jury selection process is scheduled to begin on October 9.
Amid Melly's legal developments, there's also been a new development in the case of YNW Melly's co-defendant, YNW Bortlen. Bortlen drove the victims to the hospital after the shooting, and is believed to be the only other living witness. He had a hearing scheduled to take place today, but it's now been delayed.
YNW Bortlen's Trial Pushed Back
According to Bryson "Boom" Paul, Bortlen's hearing will now take place on January 12 of next year, more than three months from now. It appears as though prosecutors are focused on Melly's case for the time being, causing some setbacks in Bortlen's case. He will be tried separately from Melly. Though Melly and prosecutors are surely looking to get his second trial moving, the rapper's team thinks jury selection could take some time. One of his attorneys, Stuart Adelstein, reportedly said they'll "be lucky to pick a jury before Thanksgiving." The 24-year-old's defense cites alleged "prosecutorial misconduct" in their motion for dismissal.
They're alleging that prosecutors helped Detective Mark Moretti, and hid internal investigations of him in order to "gain a tactical advantage" over Melly's defense. This would "violate [Melly's] due process rights as guaranteed by both the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the parallel provisions of the Florida Constitution,” the rapper's lawyers claim. What do you think of YNW Bortlen having his court date pushed back by over three months? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on YNW Melly and YNW Bortlen.
